The Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf celebrated the completion of its $4.6 million gymnasium renovation project on Friday, Oct. 10.
“This upgrade and this renovation are all about the students and the staff and providing them with the best possible environment for physical education,” said Timothy Charon, chief operating officer at the school.
The Mill Neck School for the Deaf has 110 students, who come from 32 school districts throughout Nassau County, Suffolk County, and New York City. Charon said all students will use the new facility.
Charon said the school applied for a state grant to complete the renovations due to issues adhering to the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines. He said the elevator was out of service, the HVAC system did not work properly, and there was no ramp into the building from the outside.
With the over $4 million in grant funding, Charon said a new elevator, air conditioning unit, and exterior ramp were added. The new elevator has a visual emergency system, as most students and staff members in the building are deaf.
Charon said the gymnasium bathrooms were renovated to be ADA-compliant, and hallways were widened, as well as structural and roofing repairs. He said wide hallways are important for deaf learners, because communicating through sign language requires more physical space.
“I am so happy for our students and staff… the number one investment and most important investment that we could make is in our students and our staff,” he said.
Charon said the state and the Village of Mill Neck were key to the project and to “helping us make the most accessible environment possible for our kids.”
“It takes a village, as they say,” he said.
